Dr. Finlay's Casebook

The year is 1928 and the place Glasgow. Alan Finlay, a hard-up young medical student with a passionate ambition to become a surgeon, becomes involved in the strange disappearance of his landlady's husband. Finlay ventures an opinion and by chance finds himself in conflict with the veteran Dr. Cameron, a former surgeon now in general practice. It is a chance that is to shape Finlay's career.

Meg McBain, the stock-breeder's wife, gives birth to a son. But who is the father? Is it McBain, or could it be the carefree Irish tinker Tim O'Shea?

Alan Findlay runs into trouble when he is asked by the Ministry of Health to organise a free milk experiment at the local school.

Lord Moorcroft is trying to persuade the Council to put up a memorial to the fallen of the 1914-18 war. But there is a section of the community who feel that the money would be better spent on such necessities as street lamps than on what the local schoolmaster calls 'vast marble eyesores'.

Former radio producer Alison Bell goes talent hunting for the Cottage Hospital's children's Christmas party. Alas, talent is hard to find but eventually, for the sake of a very sick child, she persuades Doctors Cameron, Finlay and Snoddie to do their party pieces. On the day itself each doctor is bent on outshining the others, only to find that someone else outshines them all.

Dr. Finlay concentrates on the case of a nervous novelist. Dr. Cameron tries his hand as an amateur electrician and Janet risks the fearful consequences.

Miss Seymour is the headmistress of a boarding school for the daughters of gentlemen. She has strong ideas about discipline and ladylike behaviour and her teaching methods are Victorian to say the least. During a rehearsal for a school play one of the girls falls off the stage and dislocates her shoulder. Dr. Finlay is sent for, and though he is greatly liked by the girls Miss Seymour has doubts about his influence on them.

Dr. Cameron is afraid his partner means to leave him again: he's showing his usual alarming symptons of spring fever. Cameron makes an offer that everyone thinks is splendid. ""It'll give you a real anchor here, my boy"" says Finlay's father. But does an anchor have to resemble a ball and chain?